BMKG Lifts Tsunami Warning, Padang Residents Start Returning Home

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) revoked the post-earthquake tsunami warning in the Mentawai Islands. The warning was lifted at 03.57 WIB.

This caused Padang residents, West Sumatra, who had fled because of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake returned home.

Quoting Antara, one of the residents of Padang Fitra Yogi (40) in Padang, Tuesday said after the earthquake occurred, residents who were on the beach immediately fled to the shelter and partly to higher areas. Congestion had occurred at several points due to the large number of vehicles used to evacuate by the community. However, when the BMKG had lifted the tsunami warning, it gradually took the displaced residents back to their respective places of residence. Acting Head of West Sumatra BPBD Arry Yuswandi said that currently his party was still gathering information from all regencies and cities, especially in the Mentawai Islands regarding the damage caused by the earthquake. Meanwhile, the Head of the BMKG Earthquake and Tsunami Center Dr. Daryono, S. Si, M. Si through a written release said that the results of the BMKG analysis showed that this earthquake had updated parameters with a magnitude of M6.9 from the initial mention of M7.3.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located at coordinates 0.94 deg LS; 98.38 deg BT, or precisely located at sea at a distance of 177 km northwest of the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra at a depth of 23 km. By paying attention to the location of the epicenter and the depth of the hypocenter, the earthquake that occurred was a shallow type of earthquake due to the subduction activity of the Indo-Australian Plate. The results of the analysis of the source mechanism show that the earthquake has a thrust fault mechanism. This earthquake has an impact and is felt in the Siberut area, Mentawai with an intensity scale of VI MMI, West Pasaman, Padang Pariaman, Agam and Padang with an intensity scale of V MMI. There were five aftershocks up to 04.00 WIB with the largest magnitude of M4.6.